JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Two community organizations filed a motion seeking to modify a 2022 order that placed Jackson’s water system under the control of Interim Third-Party Manager Ted Henifin.

The People’s Advocacy Institute (PAI) and the Mississippi Poor People’s Campaign (MS-PPC) filed the motion on Friday, May 16.

The motion asks that U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate require Henifin to comply with Mississippi open record and competitive bidding laws, mandate strict neutrality by the Interim Third-Party Manager and his agents, and establish a timeline for returning control of the water system to Jackson city officials.

This comes after the Jackson City Council voted against a water rate increase that was proposed by JXN Water. However, JXN Water said under the federal stipulated order, the final decision on rates rests with the court.

“The fact that the elected leadership of this city can vote unanimously to reject a rate increase, yet one man and a judge can approve it regardless of that vote, underscores why our motion is necessary. Residents and our elected representatives need to be a part of the decision making process – especially when so many families already struggle with rising utility costs and managing ongoing concerns with our water system. That’s why we intervened. That’s why we are filing this motion today,” said Brooke Floyd, PAI Director of Programs and Community-Led Governance Initiatives.

According to officials, PAI and MS-PPC were granted the right to intervene as plaintiffs in the lawsuit United States Of America v. City of Jackson in March 2024. They are represented by Forward Justice, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the ACLU of Mississippi.